If people do not know your business exists, are you really in business? As an entrepreneur, the ability to launch a product or service that connects and resonates with your target audiences often determines whether your business experiences success or failure. With there being such a vast array of options available within every market, establishing positioning and building communication programs that create brand awareness is a must.

So what exactly is brand awareness? As defined by Google, brand awareness is “the extent to which consumers are familiar with the distinctive qualities or image of a particular brand of goods or services.” The consumer market cannot and will not purchase what they’re unaware of; it’s that simple. As a leader, you must utilize the understanding of your target audiences and your brand messaging to establish a connection between the two, and create promotional initiatives that keep that connection fresh.

Here are five (5) things you can do to establish and boost your brand awareness.

1. Define Your Brand Story & Tone of Voice

What do you want your internal & external stakeholders to know about you & your brand, and does the tone of voice used connect with your target audiences?

STORY x VOICE = IMPACT

No one else knows your story better than you do. However, is it easily shareable? Can someone who has no idea of who you are easily understand & accurately pass your story on to others? Investing time in clarifying and simplifying your brand story will pay huge dividends as it enables its ability to be easily shared.

Your brand story should always be paired with a defined and specific tone of voice. What tone best reflects your target audiences (sarcastic, serious, humorous, etc.)?

When you understand the things that drive your audiences – their needs, fears, and desires – you’re able to craft the most effective tone to communicate with them. The better you hone your voice, the more effective your conversation will become, and the more your awareness will grow.

2. Continuity in Communication

One of the easiest ways to confuse your audiences is by failing to unify your brand story across all marketing mediums used in your communication strategy. For example, if you create a YouTube video that promotes your product or service, the same messaging, tone, and visual elements should be used across all other mediums as well. Creating marketing campaigns with messaging on one medium that’s different from all others will inevitably cause confusion to rear its ugly head and confusion never has or will be a friend of your brand. It’s often said that “when you confuse, you lose” and this statement is at it’s truest sense when referencing branding.

3. Staying Top-Of-Mind

It stands to reason that the more you interact with something, the more familiar you will become with it. This is true for your brand as well. The more your target audiences see your brand, learn about your brand, and interact with your brand, the higher their awareness of your brand will be. This principle, known as “top-of-mind,” is the driving force behind daily Facebook posts, periodic Tweets, and the monthly newsletters that find their way into your inbox. By continually placing your brand in front of your customers in a way that provides value, you are bringing your brand back to the forefront, back to the top of their minds.

4. Community Partnerships

Many businesses find that local partnerships can drastically increase their brand awareness on a more personal level. One of the most common ways businesses does this is through sponsoring local events & youth sports teams. Your sponsorship provides a value to the players, their families, and the local community. This kind of partnership gets your brand in front of prospective customers and associates it with positivity, while also humanizing your business.

5. Offering Freebies

Nothing boosts your brand awareness better than providing customers with a free offering. Freebies are a great way to grab the attention & information of potential customers. This method is especially useful when you are trying to either penetrate or increase your reach within a particular market. An example of this would be a free initial exam with a chiropractor, a free dessert at a restaurant, or a downloadable e-book or white paper.

There are hundreds of ways to build brand awareness, and these five are some of the easiest you can implement on your own. Always keep in mind that clarity leads to growth and when embarking on the journey of establishing brand awareness a consistent message is key.